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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cell — in biology
  3. root — the cause
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. pitch — completely
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lean — thin
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. fine — all right
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. root — of a word
  18. cell — a phone
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pit — in a race

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com